| Paul Hayward: Berbatov adds sweat to artistry Berbatov looks a different player now he has signed up to the harder half of a Manchester United striker's job specificationThere are still times in games when Dimitar Berbatov looks as if he might stop to spark up a fag and phone an old mate back in Sofia. But more often these days he appears intent on filling the creativity gap left by Eric Cantona.At Goodison Park at the weekend an Everton defender was allowed to receive a pass from the goalkeeper in a space Berbatov might have raced across to occupy had he been Wayne Rooney's twin. Paul Scholes observed this relapse into indolence and waved to indicate a little defensive scampering was required. Berbatov dipped his shoulders, as if about to sprint, but then thought better of it, using the time instead to plan his next flourish.Manchester United fans need no pleading to sing about Cantona: their ideal exotic compound of skill, muscularity and defiance. At Everton those supporters broke into their sacred "Ooh-aah Cantona" anthem just as Berbatov was relaxing into his best repertoire of chips, flicks, feints and link-ups.A floaty, slow-footed but quick-brained master of space, Berbatov has put pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson to reverse last season's Champions League policy of starting with his ÂŁ30m Bulgarian striker on the bench. As Rangers roll into Old Trafford tonight there seems only the slimmest chance that Berbatov will return to the subservient role.In Rooney's absence on Saturday the carpe diem spirit took him as Ferguson asked him to capitalise on a promising start to his campaign by leading the attack. His encouraging response removed the doubts about his appetite and mental toughness in adversity.Only a reversion to 4-5-1 with Rooney the lone centre-forward could consign Bulgaria's six-times footballer of the year to the seat he occupied for all bar one of United's Champions League ties in 2009-10. In that season his strike rate dropped from 14 in his debut year to 12 and speculation spread that United would give up on him in this summer's transfer window."I am going nowhere. I have arrived where I want to be. I have arrived at the summit," Berbatov announced as the crows on the wire predicted his departure.It sounded like bravado as Ferguson signed Javier Hernández and BĂ©bĂ© and spoke again on the pre-season tour of America of the long-term potential of Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck.A cynic might speculate that Berbatov's rebirth is related to his knowledge that the four-year deal he signed on 1 September 2008 expires at the end of next season. He would hardly be the first top-level player to see his contract slide into the two-year danger zone and then shake a leg. He will be 30 in January. His international retirement in May was framed as a surrender to weariness with Bulgarian football politics but was probably more an attempt to revive his club career.The symbolic declaration of intent was his spectacular chip in the Community Shield against Chelsea. "He's an important player for us. It's an old habit when players who come to United and they're not scoring three goals a game or making 50 passes they get slaughtered," Ferguson said. "He has great talent. You can't dispute the man's ability – he's a genius at times. Maybe it's going to be his season now."In the weekend's 3-3 draw with Everton it was noticeable that United's midfielders were more confident in believing Berbatov would keep his feet in motion and dash on to the end of ambitious passes rather than wait around like an elegant refugee from the 1970s.His goal, United's second, came from a classic ball over the top of a centre-half, from Scholes, which asked Berbatov to hunt then sprint before he could set up an artistic finish with the out-step of his right boot.Scholes and Ryan Giggs are marking fewer allowances for him now. Berbatov has responded by signing up to the harder half of a United striker's job specification. Not unreservedly, but enough to stop him drifting like a passenger. With 32 goals in all in European competition and two Champions League final appearances already there is not a doubt about his talent.Cantona was on a permanent war footing: cocked and combative. Berbatov, "the man with the Dracula haircut", according to one Community Shield report, is a lone wolf too, but more of the suffering kind. No longer, though, are the cognoscenti dismissing him as the right player in the wrong team. The rise in his productivity this autumn could yet prompt Rooney's return to the more withdrawn position Fabio Capello has allocated him with England.Industry is non-negotiable for all United players but we all know Berbatov was not bought to charge around. The qualities that caused him to cost an initial ÂŁ23.4m were those on show at Everton: the ones that are impossible for opponents to predict.Manchester UnitedChampions LeaguePaul Haywardguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Giant Food’s deal with Dover, NASCAR will bring grocery to track Stocking the camper during race week at most tracks requires a trip to a local grocery store, but this week Dover officials will save fans that trouble by bringing a grocery store to the track. (KO) (KFT) (UL) (PG) feeds.bizjournals.com |
TDF winner Alberto Contador denies blood doping By DANIEL WOOLLS 2010-10-01T15:29:03ZMADRID (AP) -- Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador denies that his positive test for a banned drug stems from blood doping rather than contaminated steak, his spokesman said Friday.... hosted.ap.org |
Commonwealth Games: Will Sharman checks out of hospital to take silver • Weary England complete 1-2-3 in 110m hurdles• Adlington and Goddard get second golds in pool• See how Friday unfolded on our live blogBritish medals came as thick and fast as the monsoon rains today. While it feels wrong to single out one from the bunch, Will Sharman deserves special mention. Sharman took silver in the 110 metres hurdles. He was part of an English clean-sweep in the event, behind Andy Turner and ahead of Lawrence Clarke. Sharman had hauled himself out of hospital to get to the start line. He came down with severe stomach troubles yesterday and spent the night before the final fighting attacks of vomiting and diarrhoea. After Friday morning's heats he was sent to hospital and put on a drip."I was close to tears this morning," Sharman said. "The only reason why I ran the final was because my mum flew over here to watch me. It has been quite an ordeal. At the holding camp in Qatar I think I picked up a virus but it came into full effect yesterday. It was touch and go whether I raced or not." Clarke was also crocked, having torn a flexor muscle in his hip during his warm-up before the final. The three medallists looked a weary and wounded bunch as they stood on the podium to receive their medals.Just like the English swimmers, Sharman has learned a lot about what he is capable of by competing in Delhi. Across town at the Aquatics Complex the England team had their best night yet, winning 10 medals across the evening's 11 finals. And the consensus across the team was that the tough conditions they have faced here have only made them stronger. Liam Tancock, Rebecca Adlington and James Goddard all won their second gold medals of the Games."We just have to get on with it," said Adlington after winning the 400m freestyle. "I've come here to do a job. That was to swim and win medals, and I have medalled in every race." For a time it looked as though there could be an English 1-2-3 here, too, but Jo Jackson and the 17-year-old Anne Bochmann were edged out in the final 50 metres. Still, Wales's Jazz Carlin took the bronze, meaning that competition for spots on the Great Britain 400m freestyle team at London 2012 is going to be very fierce indeed.Adlington has won gold on successive nights. Coupled with her stomach troubles, the punishing swimming schedule has made this a tough meet. "It was really hard after the 800m final last night," she said, "By the time I had done a blood test and a urine test, I didn't manage to get a rub so I was really, really aching this morning, I just had to put that aside and forget about it. I had to be mentally tough. I've got a two-week break so it doesn't matter how much I hurt now or how much I hurt tomorrow, it doesn't matter."Tancock agreed. He is in the form of his life, and has now added the 100m backstroke title to the 50m version he won on Tuesday. "I think there's loads of things here that could be excuses, that could stop you from performing at your best. If you let it affect you, it is going to."Goddard's was perhaps the most impressive, and unexpected, performance. He won the men's 200m individual medley in a new Games record of 1min 58.10sec. It was predictable enough that he would lead after the backstroke leg, seeing as he won the 200m title earlier this week, but his advantage grew even more during the breaststroke. "I want to get better yet," he said. "1.58 is not good enough, I need 1.54 if I am going to beat the Americans."His team-mate Joe Roebuck took one of six English silvers on the day. One of them came from another disqualification, though it was not nearly so controversial a decision as the one that cost Australia's Sally Pearson her 100m sprint title in the previous night's athletics. The women's 4x100m freestyle relay team benefited from an infringement by the Canadian foursome, which bumped the English girls up from bronze.Gemma Spofforth was just as disappointed with her silver in the 100m back as she had been with her silver in the 50m. She was another swimmer with a busy schedule: earlier in the night she had finished fifth in the 200m backstroke. Elizabeth Simmonds took the silver in that race. She had also been suffering with sickness, but refused to use that as an excuse. "We've been presented with a hell of a lot of things here in Delhi that we are not used to dealing with," she said. "It is something that everyone has had to deal with. I think that if you win the preparation process you win the race, that's the fact of the matter out here."Antony James was second in the 100m butterfly, while Fran Halsall, who has suffered more than most of the swimmers this week, took silver in the 50m freestyle.Paul Drinkhall, meanwhile, staged a stirring fightback to steer England to victory over India and a place in today's table tennis team final. Liam Pitchford lost the opening game 3-0 to Kamal Sharath Achanta and Drinkhall found himself 5-0 and 10-6 down in the decisive game against Anthony Arputharaj. But despite a home crowd baying for a victory Drinkhall held his nerve to pull off a 12-10 win.Andrew Baggaley beat Subhajit Saha 3-0 to edge England ahead before the 20-year-old Drinkhall wrapped up the win by beating Achanta 3-1 to set up a final meeting with Singapore.Commonwealth Games 2010AthleticsSwimmingAndy Bullguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Pete Rose on making Hall of Fame: 'Don't wait till I'm dead' Pete Rose opened up with a Q&A with Cincinnati Enquirer reporter John Erardi in conjunction with the release of a documentary film on his ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |